The second season of Netflix’s Mindhunter may have taken two years to arrive, but those of us who’ve already burned through all nine episodes know that it was well worth the wait. Sure, the subplot involving Bill Tench’s (Holt McCallany) adopted hellspawn feels out of place, and yes, Wendy Carr (Anna Torv) gets shafted on screen time and relevance, but the series as a whole remains a mesmerizing watch. Sharp writing and fantastic performances are a big part of the show’s success, but as is often the case with visual mediums the direction is key.

David Fincher returns as one of the show’s driving forces – he directed four episodes of the first season, three this time around, and is responsible for setting the show’s precise late 70s tone – and he’s joined by Andrew Dominik (Killing Them Softly) who helms two. The season’s final four episodes, though, are directed by Carl Franklin, and while his work aligns with Fincher’s (and show creator Joe Penhall’s) series vision, it also shows a filmmaker working with concepts and conceits already well established within his filmography.

Director Carl Franklin is no stranger to the crime genre. Before shooting four episodes of Mindhunter season two and his illustrious career directing television, Franklin helmed two of the best damn crime movies of the 1990s, One False Move and The Devil in the Blue Dress. He’s an old pro when it comes to crafting exceptional tension, which there’s no shortage of in his episodes of the David Fincher-produced series.

Mindhunter isn’t the first time Franklin and Fincher have collaborated; the Out of Time director first worked with him on House of Cards. As he explained to us, Fincher was more involved this time around on Mindhunter. Franklin, who thankfully has a movie brewing he might direct soon, talked to us about his time working with Fincher, the unique style and stars of the acclaimed series, and a nice memory about the late, great Bill Paxton. At the time of the interview, we had yet to see the episodes he directed before the interview, so it’s a broader discussion about the Netflix series.

UPDATE:TheWrap confirms John Singleton has left the Tupac Shakur biopic over “major creative differences.” Carl Franklin will replace Singleton in the director’s chair. Original story follows.

The long-gestating Tupac Shakur biopic has stalled yet again. Director John Singleton says it’s “on hold for right now,” because he just wants to make sure to “get it right.” Meanwhile, a rumor has cropped up that Singleton is being replaced by Carl Franklin. Hit the jump for the latest updates on the Tupac Shakur movie.

Briefly: Some of the best director commentaries out there are from David Fincher, whose discussions about each of his films are super-detailed and free of the “you had to be there” stories that make some commentaries little more than a genial hangout session with the filmmakers. Hanging out is great, but if you want a commentary you might learn from, Fincher is a good bet.

So it’s great that Netflix has added director commentaries to the first season of House of Cards, which Fincher produced, and which features him as director of two episodes. There are also commentaries from James Foley (Glengarry Glen Ross), Joel Schumacher (The Client), Charles McDougall (The Good Wife), Carl Franklin (Homeland), and Allen Coulter (The Sopranos).

This is all a promo, more or less, for the second season of House of Cards, which will be available in its entirety on February 14. As promos go, it’s a great one. Get to the commentaries through the subtitle option on your Netflix portal of choice.